Meet the Pets of ACTAsia! 

12 December 2025

As the year winds down and we move into the holiday season, we’re taking a pause to celebrate the furry, feathery companions who make ACTAsia’s workdays brighter.

Our team’s pets are our best friends – comforting, chaotic, quirky, cuddly – and each one carries a story of kindness and connection. Dogs rescued across continents, cats with strong opinions, a sugar glider who arrived by accident, even a chicken who preferred jigsaw puzzles over the coop… all have found their way into our lives and into this special feature.

Chip & Kali – Joy (CCN Coordinator) 

Joy rescued her two dogs, Chip and Kali in 2013 when she was working with Humane Society International (HSI)on a Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return program in Jamshedpur, India. Chip, a clever, stubborn pup, was adopted and returned four times by the time he was six months old before Joy started training him herself. Naturally, he never left. Kali, found injured in a concrete pipe, recovered through the program but remained timid. She bonded closely with the ever-confident Chip, following him everywhere. So, when Joy adopted Chip, Kali came too. The pair travelled with her across India, then from India to London UK in 2017, then London to Texas in 2019. 

Mimi (蜜蜜) – Yvonne (China Programme Officer) 

Mimi the sugar glider entered Yvonne’s life through an unexpected discovery at Pet Fair Asia in August 2025. Sugar Gliders are a nocturnal, squirrel-sized mammal that belongs to the same family as koalas and kangaroos. They have a skin membrane that allows them to glide through the air. 

While setting up the ACTAsia booth, Yvonne heard unusual noises coming from a bag of materials. She found ACTAsia vet trainer Dr. Ma Wenqiang, who helped her discover that a sugar glider was inside. With gentle care (and some calming apple slices), Mimi was safely brought home. She arrived tiny, fragile, with a small nose wound, but has since grown stronger and formed a trusting bond with Yvonne. Now about three months into their life together, Yvonne and Mimi are finding a rhythm. Though sugar gliders require much patience and responsibility, Mimi’s adorable chirps are a constant joy. 

Toby – Tanya (Writer) 

Toby is 12 years old but remains a puppy at heart. A fetch aficionado, he launches himself through the air to catch the ball with impressive ardour. A true Canadian, Toby adores the snow. He can be found frolicking outside no matter the weather, always keen for a game of chase or ball. Though his senior age has brought a slower, gentler pace, it has also made him cuddlier than ever. His favourite ritual is pushing open Tanya’s door in the morning to crawl into her bed for a cuddle. 

Lucky, Haha & Xixi – Echo (Head of Programs China) 

Echo shares her home with three different personalities. 

Echo adopted Lucky as a 2-month old puppy from a friend who realized they couldn’t care for him. Lucky is a quick learner and lover of snacks. When he gets delicious food, he dances happily and plays with it, but when Echo gives him two different snacks at once, he pauses dramatically and lies down, unsure of which one to eat first. 

Haha, Echo’s first cat, was abandoned by a friend of a friend due to financial pressures. “Haha is so cute and I think he knows it,” says Echo. He often sticks out his tongue after doing something he knows he shouldn’t. Haha’s favorite place to sleep is on the sofa with Echo’s husband. 

Echo found Xixi the cat abandoned at a pet shop. Xixi caught Echo’s heart with her small frame and sad meows. She came home with her shortly after. Smart, brave, and deeply loyal, Xixi took on the role of the protector, checking in on Echo every time she sneezes. 

Charlie – Pei (Founder & CEO)  

Charlie is a rescue cat who arrived as a tiny kitten and has since grown into a big, soft goofball with very specific and ever-changing food preferences. He keeps the household on its toes in ways that only an orange cat with an attitude can.  He has a loud ‘meow’ and is very good at the feline “social roll” – a sign of bonding, showing that cats feel secure enough to make themselves vulnerable. In Charlie’s case, it usually means that he wants to ‘make himself vulnerable’ by being fed.

Muta – Karen (Partnership & Outreach Coordinator) 

Muta, one of Karen’s RSPCA-rescued cats, was adopted as a tiny kitten along with his brother, Baron. He is named after a character from the Studio Ghibli film, The Cat Returns, “which makes sense when you meet him,” says Karen. Muta is affectionate, greedy and wonderfully lazy. Though hopeless at catching birds (“thankfully!” says Karen), he excels at fetch, tossing green bottle tops from Japanese fizzy drinks into the air, catching them mid-flight, and returning them at his humans’ feet for more. 

Dexter – Kerrin (Communications/Writer)

“Dexter is the heartbeat of our family,” says Kerrin. He is nine-years-old and slowing down a bit, but certainly can still behave like a puppy. His perfect day includes a walk and a swim, followed by a blissful doze on the sofa. Dexter has an impressive understanding of the English language, however, the words ‘bring the ball back’ are not included! Mornings are reserved for performing tricks to earn Shreddies with Kerrin’s eldest daughter, Lauren, while evenings find him upside-down on the sofa next to the youngest, Phoebe.

Gail – Emma (Director of UK Communications) 

Over the years, Emma has rescued 12 hens from the egg industry, where chickens are typically sent to slaughter at just 18 months. Gail was Emma’s favourite. “She arrived tiny, pale and lacking feathers, but proved herself to be a real little character, always keen for human contact, sneaking into the house at every opportunity, getting involved in jigsaws, and correcting the work on my laptop!” 

A Season of Companionship 

Across continents and species, these animals bring comfort, joy, routine, zest and love into the lives of the ACTAsia team. Their stories remind us why caring for all beings, human and non-human is at the core of our mission. 

This holiday season, join us in championing compassion across the globe. 

If you’d like to support ACTAsia’s work educating communities to care for people, animals, and the environment, we warmly invite you to get involved or donate.